Corporate Europe Observatory

Exposing the power of corporate lobbying in the EU

EFSA dossier

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All CEO publications on the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and related correspondence.

Groups urge MEPs to push EFSA on conflicts of interest

On 24 January a vote is taking place in the European Parliament about  EFSA's 2010 budget. Réseau Environnement Santé, Earth Open Source and  Corporate Europe Observatory have written a letter to MEPs urging them to take into account the conflicts of interest of EFSA panel members,  the revolving doors cases and EFSA's systematic ties with industry  lobbygroup ILSI, when deciding to approve its budget. Critical  amendments on these issues have been tabled by MEPs Ms Lepage, Mr  Panayotov and Mr Staes.

Even though EFSA has revised its independence policy, this is not  adequate to ban conflicts of interest, according to the three  organisations. Now, however, a crucial opportunity for change has arisen, with the membership of eight EFSA panels and the Scientific  Committee being renewed by the Management Board in March 2012.

Download the letter sent to the MEP's.

Two EU experts responsible for evaluating aspartame failed to declare links with food industry

Corporate Europe Observatory and Réseau Environnement Santé – 13 September 2011

Full report as pdf

Letter to EFSA (13 September 2011)

Reply by EFSA (16 September 2011)

Reply by CEO (20 September 2011)

Letter to Commissioner Sefcovic (13 September 2011)

EFSA warning on tweaked logo (16 September 2011)

Reply by CEO (27 September 2011)

Exposed: conflicts of interest among EFSA’s experts on food additives

Corporate Europe Observatory, 15 June 2011

Full report as pdf

EFSA reaction to CEO's report (24 June 2011)

CEO's reply to EFSA's reaction (1 July 2011)

Serial conflicts of interest on EFSA’s management board

Corporate Europe Observatory, 23 February 2011

Full report in pdf format

Open letter by CEO (23 February 2011)

Answer from EFSA (8 March 2011)

CEO letter to Commissioner Dalli (15 March 2011)

Is Big Food Shaping EFSA Policy?

Corporate Europe Observatory, 29 November 2010

Full report in pdf format

Letter to EFSA (29 November 2010)

Letter to Commission (29 November 2010)

EFSA reaction (21 December 2010)

Reply to EFSA reaction (27 January 2011)

 

Similar entries

Conflicts of interest EFSA board letter

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) last week highlighted in a report that at least four members of EFSA’s management board are employed by or otherwise linked with food industry lobby groups and other commercial interests, a situation that creates potential conflicts of interest.

EFSA: conflicts of interest on board

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for assessing and communicating food safety in the European Union, for everything from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to pesticides. However EFSA has recently been criticised because its scientific assessments of new GM crops and pesticides rely almost exclusively on corporate research data. Some EFSA experts have also been accused of being too close to the food and drink industry .

Exposed: conflicts of interest among EFSA’s experts on food additives

New research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has found that 11 out of the 20 experts on the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel on food additives (ANS) have a conflict of interest, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

European Parliament postpones EFSA budget approval over conflicts of interest

In a plenary vote, the European Parliament today adopted a report by Monica Macovei MEP (PPE), deciding that the approval of the European food agency’s 2010 budget will be postponed. Also, a strong resolution was adopted denouncing the conflicts of interest that have plagued the agency. A similar decision was taken on the approval of the 2010 budget of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Is Big Food Shaping EFSA Policy?

Public relations expertise developed by a food-and-drink-industry-funded think tank seems to be being promoted by the European Union’s food safety agency, following the appointment of a food industry insider. The PR strategy on dealing with risks has even been included in official guidelines. Recent cases of former Commissioners going through the revolving doors into lobbying jobs have raised questions about conflicts of interest.

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Corporate Europe Observatory

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) is a research and campaign group working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and their lobby groups in EU policy making.

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